Rubio on Romneycare: At Least You Can Flee It!

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There has to be some way Romneycare is different than Obamcare. Wait. Got it!Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP

When confronted with the tension between their belief that Obamacare is the Biggest Socialism Ever and their own candidate designed the same f—king bill, Republicans have had an easy retort: Romneycare was constitutional, Obamacare isn’t. Now they find themselves looking for a new distinction, and it’s not easy. Marco Rubio gives it ashot:

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Romney “supported it on the state level. Which means if you didn’t like it in Massachusetts, you could move to another state,” Rubio said on Bloomberg Television. “What are people supposed to do? Leave the United States now because of Barack Obama’s brilliant idea to sic the IRS on millions ofpeople?

Right! At least it’s possible to flee the socialist hell that Mitt Romney constructed in Massachusetts for another state, but there’s no way you can leave the country! Even if you make it past the armed guards, you’ll be killed by the electricalfence!

No, wait — I’m thinking of East Germany. We don’t have that in the United States. (Yet — it’s a second-term plan.) As of now, you actually can still leave thecountry.

Now, it’s true that very, very few Americans would flee the country to avoid the individual mandate. It’s also true that very, very few people have left Massachusetts to flee the individualmandate.

But, obviously, Rubio considers the possibility of fleeing for the sweet, sweet freedom to potentially die of an easily treatable condition crucial — crucial enough to define the difference between Romney’s pro-freedom health agenda and Obama’s tyrannical health agenda. So, I would note that there is still a lengthy list of countries that don’t oppress their citizens by subjecting them to universal health care. You’re ruling out most of your wealthy countries, but some decent selections remain. Afghanistan has no universal coverage! It also features low taxes, little regulation, and strong family values, if you’re into that kind ofthing.